The annual Western New York Hosta, Daylily and Iris Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday August 2 at the Lake Erie Italian Club, 3200 South Park Ave., Buffalo. (It’s less than a mile from the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.) Only cash and checks will accepted. The sale is hosted by the WNY Hosta Society, Buffalo Area Daylily Society and Western New York Iris Society…....
Oak wilt is a disease that can kill both red and white oak trees, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Symptoms are more noticeable in red oaks, which can die in as little as six weeks after infection. Residents and visitors of Niagara and Erie counties should especially be alert to signs of this disease. Oak wilt was found two years ago in the Ontario municipalities of Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Springwater. It may be…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko The New York State district of the American Rose Society is holding its convention and rose show in Amherst from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 19-21. Our own Western New York Rose Society is hosting the event. You don’t want to miss this event! People are coming from from Ontario, Manhattan, Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas and California. Coming from France will be Matthias Meilland, the keynote speaker. He’s a sixth-generation of the…...
Late blight has been found in Cattaraugus County, according to the Cornell Vegetable Program. “As the disease spreads quickly, I would urge everyone in Chautauqua County and other surrounding areas to be on the lookout,” said Katelyn Walley-Stoll, agriculture team leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauqua County. If you suspect you might have infected plants or have more questions, contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in your county. What is late blight? Late blight is a quick spreading, easily traveling,…...
Get ready for a magical weekend as Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden tour in America, returns rain or shine! This self-guided tour is completely free. Just grab a map and begin your adventure through more than 300 creative and welcoming gardens throughout the city. The gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you see a Garden Walk sign before or after those hours, consider it your invitation to tour the garden. However, if there is no sign, that…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko The gardening joy continues in Western New York! There will be about 300 gardens waiting for you to visit this week. Do you like elegant gardens? Quirky gardens? Tiny gardens? Vegetable gardens? Gardens with water features? Lots of native plants? Shady areas? You can find these and more! Prepare to immerse yourself in everything growing this week: a Garden walks a City of Tonawanda Garden Walk Friday Night Lights: 8:30 – 11 pm Friday, July 18…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Our spring was so wet and muddy, you might not have been able to sow vegetable seeds. Don’t worry. It’s time for succession planting! You can actually plant vegetables in spring and again in summer. In our previous article, Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market explains what to plant and when to plant. It’s all spelled out so you know what vegetables you can plant in your area now. You can buy seeds at Urban…...
July is the time to take inventory of the blank spaces in your garden, according to Peggy Koppmann in “This Month in the Garden.” That’s one of the articles in the most recent edition of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. “Perhaps a plant has died, or (gasp!), you killed it,” Koppmann said. “Maybe it got eaten by rabbits or it was overwatered or was in the wrong place. Maybe it was…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You won’t find this much gardening joy packed into one week anywhere else in North America! The only problem: there’s so much happening, you can’t see it all. But don’t worry. The parts that you do see will be amazing! Open Gardens Nearly 100 remarkable, private gardens will again be open to the public during Open Gardens. Visitors are allowed only at select times on Thursdays and Fridays in July. That creates a serene, uncrowded garden…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you have a tall flower, such as a delphinium, that is drooping? Find out what you should do. Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca, explains how to properly stake flowers in a previous article. She also discusses how to choose plants that are healthy (yes, there is still lots of time to buy new plants!) and provides a tip on watering that will help you avoid flattening your…...